Surprises Underway
by Mrs.Manoso
Summary: After a one nighter, Ranger finds out that he fathered a child. Will he take the chance at happiness with someone else besides Steph, or will he blow his chances? A few Origanals Characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, new story, Woo Whoo! So J.E. owns Rangersigh Steph, Morelli, and everyone else that isn't mine. Enjoy.  
**

There was no longer a chance with Steph. I had sent her back to Morelli one to many times and she wasn't going to come back. She was married now and I wasn't one to interfere in that type of relationship. I might have jumped in when they were on the 'off-stage' of their hectic relationship, but after tonight that would never happen again. I had gone to the wedding and stood at the back, watching what I could have had if I hadn't acted stupidly, but I wasn't one to dwell, except for tonight.

I went to the Blue Light, shut off my phone and cut the connection on the turbo so the boys wouldn't know where I was. I sat in the dark corner, watching the room for a while before the waitress came over. I had seen her a while back; not only working, but I had taken her home later that night. It had been a stressful night, and I couldn't take Steph so she filled in the emptiness for a couple of hours. She set down a beer in a cold mug and stood for a moment watching me.

She had been bartending a couple years now, the tight blue shirt hugged her small top, and the black skirt showed of her bottoms curves. Her blonde hair was pulled up, and her green eyes were large and bright and her luscious lips held a large grin. "You only come in to pick someone up or when you look like crap, and it is the second one that has brought you in tonight." When she didn't get a response from me, she frowned slightly and then walked over to serve an older man sitting at the bar.

I watched for a while as she mingled with the customers, flirting with the older men, and brushing everyone else's come-ons. She came over with a large cheeseburger and chill cheese fries and a large smile. "Cheer up, who ever left you will be back. I know I would be."

"When do you get off?" Her eyebrows rose with question. "I might need some company."

"Pity sex, I don't know. Although I haven't gotten out since the last time we—" She was cut off as one of the old regulars at the bar called to her. "Be right there Pete. I'm off at eleven when Sarah comes in. Pick me up out back."

With a final glance at her rear as she walked over to Pete I set down a one hundred and left my food. Last time she helped me forget when I needed it, I prayed she could do it tonight. I drove around for the few hours I had to waste and was pleased when she was standing outside in the lot when I pulled up. A cheery smile died as she looked at me when she climbed into the Turbo.

"Look, if we are going to do this, you might as well get happy, other wise I'm just going to lay there and think of how you don't actually want this." She had trouble buckling her seatbelt, but sat looking at me expectantly as I drove to the small two bedroom house that she had bought. It was easy to get to, and I remembered the route without a problem.

I took her keys from her without a word and opened her front door. Once the door was shut behind us she turned and asked me what happened. Figures, women had to know everything that was going on. Well I would solve that; make her forget about everything except what was going to be going on in two seconds. I reached behind her and pulled her lips to mine, and I felt her sigh into me immediately. I quickly peeled her shirt off and she pushed away to look up at me. "Ranger, I need to know what happened before we do this."

Shaking my head I pulled her to me once more, but she backed away and crossed her arms over her nearly exposed chest. I could tell she was stubborn, I had realized that in seeing her bartend over the past few years, but I didn't think she would push away at this opportunity. Alls I had to do was get my lips on hers once more, or my hands on her body and she would completely forget about her questions. I reached for her again but she slapped at me and shook her head.

"Don't touch me until you talk."

"She got married, now come here." I could see the pity in her eyes and I wanted to walk out the door, but instead she walked toward me and slowly lifted my shirt over my head. With slightly trembling hands she unzipped my cargos, and I backed her up to the couch. I shucked my boots pants, and socks instantly, and she stood staring for a moment before she realized it and a slight blush crept up her exposed chest and to her cheeks. Her hands ran up and down my chest and I licked at her throat and I pulled off her skirt and the miniscule panties she had been wearing.

"I just want you to know I don't pull trick just for anyone, and I've never been bought by any other man."

"I seem to have that power."

"Just so you know." With that she was quiet and didn't interrupt any more.

I don't know how many hours had passed, or how many ways I had her, but I slipped on my clothes and boots before glancing down at Jay once more. Her long hair was tousled and knotted from me grabbing it and running my hands through it. Her lips were still swollen from the kissed and I could see a few marks from where I had bit her neck and collar bone. Her chest rose and fell lightly underneath the blue cotton sheet, and her pink manicured toes stuck out at the bottom. I ran a finger down the side of her cheek and exited quietly, locking up on my way out the door, before I went back to my apartment.

* * *

"I have a doctor's appointment in two days, but the three that I took last week all had the same result." I rubbed at my head as I kept thinking about what it all meant. I was pregnant, unless by some magical power E.P.T. really wasn't error-proof. It was three in the afternoon and I was just starting my waitressing shift. Mick, the bartended stood staring at me, trying to help me figure out what I was going to do now. "I will work until I can, but when it gets to be too much I will have to take off." 

"Well you can always come back after you have the kid; you are going to keep it right?" Mick was also my boss, and a friend that I had ever since I moved to Trenton three years ago. His bar wasn't in the best part of town, and some of the activities and customers at the bar weren't great, but Mick had always been there for me.

"I am going to, yea. My mom would kill me other wise. It is bad enough that I have to tell her that the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, or possibly the tenth time I had sex, I got pregnant." A few men entered and I went to work, trying to forget about what was gong on in my life, and think about someone else's for once.

* * *

"If I ever see him I will kill him!" I growled out through clenched teeth. My brother was at my side, his face turning white from me squeezing his hand so hard, and watching what was happening. It looked like his eyes were about to roll back in his head and I would have him sliding like a glob of jelly to the floor. I would much rather have my mother here right now, but seeing as how this little baby decided that it wanted to come two weeks early, and my parents were currently in Hawaii for their annual vacation. 

The doctor continued to coach me to push, and the fact that I decided to have my child completely natural, no epidural in mind, was driving me insane. I was ready to lash out and strangle Dr.Jakes as he told me I was close and it would only be a couple more pushes. Well that was what he told me seven hours ago when I went into labor.

"We have the head, just another big push. Come on Jay, you'll have your baby in just a minute if you can give me one more big push." It took another two minutes and I heard the wail of my baby, and felt the tears come to my closed eyes as they told me I had a new little son. I took him, they had bundled him up in a blue blanket, and I looked up at my brother who looked just as proud as I was. "Congratulations Jay, I will come back and check on you in a little while."

"Was it worth it?" I looked up at Jason, brotherly love shining in his face.

"I wouldn't trade anything for him." I had only been holding my son for seconds, but I could tell already that this boy would change my life forever. He was the only thing that would matter from this point on. Jason took him lightly from my arms, and as his small form was lifted from my arms I felt my heart aching to hold him once more. "What should I name him?"

"You'll figure it out mom, I am going to go out and tell Macy that she can come in and see him, and then I will go outside and call mom and dad." Jason kissed me on the forehead before handing my new little boy back to me. I looked down at the small delicate bundle I held in my arms. His eyes were closed and he had long dark eyelashes, and dark fuzz already covered his head. It was light, but it was still visible. His skin was almost the same shade as mine, but maybe one shade darker. His tiny fingers were curled up and I brought them lightly to my mouth and kissed them as my sister-in-law, Macy, came into the room with a brimming smile on her face.

**So please review with love or hate, I will take it either way. Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: Just as before I don't own the amazing Ranger, but I really wish I did. I would lock him up in my bedroom... Anyways, just the Noth family is mine so far, and the old neighbors and the dog. Thanks to the reviewers: XJerseyGirl, and Cokkii.  
**

"Come on Diego, eat your fruit loop." I sat at the small kitchen table and watched as milk poured off the small dinosaur spoon while Diego tried to feed himself. He was almost three and was pretty good at everything, except spoons. He looked up at me with a grin as he picked a green one out of his bowl. "Mom has to go to work. Aunt Macy is coming over to play."

"Play dinosaurs, yea?" In went a blue and a purple, and more milk went down the front of his dinosaur pajamas. I felt his little toes tap my thigh and I couldn't help but smile at my pride and joy. He was crazy about dinosaurs right now, growling at me in his impression of a dinosaur.

"Of course I will play dinosaurs, what else would the greatest aunt in the world do?" Macy walked into the screen door that had been open and tickled Diego's neck lovingly. Macy and my brother had been trying to have kids since I had Diego, and Macy was finally starting to show at five month.

"Thank you so much. I promise I will line someone else up by the end of the week. I know Jason hates that you are over here so much." I stood up and pulled at the suit skirt that was riding up my thighs. I tugged at the matching pinstriped coat and glanced down at my chest. I wore a beige camisole underneath, it had a little bit of lace showing up above the lapels. "Too much?"

"Personally I think that you should just take off the jacket and show everyone how good you look for having a kid, but you know me. Crazy."

"Smooches, Diego." I could taste the fruity taste of his cereal on my lips and smothered him in kisses all over his face as he giggled loudly.

"Love you mommy." His little voice made me smile just hearing it, and it was crushing me that I was actually leaving him for the first time to go and work. I had stayed home with him all this time and it was breaking my heart to finally have to leave him. "Going to town?"

"Yea, mommy is going to town. I will bring you a surprise. One more smooch." His thin arms wrapped around my neck and squeezed hard as he kissed me once more. I ran my hand through his thick shaggy hair and thanked Macy once more. "I promise to be home by six, call if you need anything. God I don't want to leave him."

"You'll do fine, just make your boss happy and don't worry about him." Macy pushed me out the door to the old pickup I had been driving for years. I glanced back at the door to see Macy and Diego waving happily to me and waved back as I pulled out of the driveway. I hadn't gone back to work at Mick's bar, the Blue Light, since I left to have Diego. The last day I had worked there, was actually the day that I had gone into labor, and had to be rush by Pete to the hospital in his old Cadillac. Now I was on my way to be a secretary at a lawyer's office. Whoopee. Just what I didn't want to do, but it would pay the bills that I had been accumulating.

Driving to the building where I had first had my interview, I couldn't help but think that I was finally getting my life back. I had gone and completely lost my baby weight, well not actually all of it, I was still ten pounds heavier than I had been, but I still was feeling good. I pulled open the door and was greeted by a woman around my age, she had unruly brown hair, and her stomach was huge, looking quite ready to pop out five babies. Even though she wore a frown, her face was glowing with what only a pregnant woman can feel. She smiled lightly at me as she waddled past me and I followed her with my eyes out the door.

I froze as I saw the one person I had been avoiding pull up in an all too familiar black car and step out. He was just I remembered him, except his hair had grown out a little and was pulled back. His shirt was just as tight as it had been that faithful night that I had peeled it from his chest, which looked just as good now. I couldn't see what he was wearing on the bottom but I could picture the black cargos that had gotten shucked to my living room floor. He nodded to the woman who had just exited, and she got into the passenger side of a SUV that must have had her husband waiting in it.

The SUV pulled away and I watched as Ranger watched it with a cool stare. Suddenly he looked in at me and I felt my throat go dry. His face was expressionless and I knew that he could never be the father that I wanted for my, well our son. I knew what he did for a career, and I feared that one day it might catch up with him. I don't know if I would have ended up seeing him anymore if I hadn't gotten pregnant, but now wasn't the time to think about that. He gave a small nod that anyone else probably would have missed and slid back into his Porsche and drove away.

I couldn't get him out of my mind for the rest of the day. Had the old secretary showing me what to do, but my mind was barely taking in any of the information. The past three years had been pretty much free of Ranger thoughts, except the first few months I had continued to work at the Blue Light. I had been afraid he would come in and realize what was going on, but that had never actually happened. All those times when I had seen his men come in, I couldn't help but wish that he would come in and realize, and pathetically decide to have a part in my life, but that didn't happen either, and I realized that it was definitely for the best.

The drive home seemed to take forever, never had I wanted to get back home so bad, except for the first time I had left Diego with my mother and father and went out to lunch with Macy when he was a couple months old. When I pulled up into the driveway he was running around the yard, Macy watching him play with the neighbors' small beagle. I got out of the pickup and Diego ran to me immediately and I couldn't help but bend down and meet him in a bone crushing hug. Macy couldn't help but laugh at me as I kissed him everywhere on his face. I knew I was pathetic, but after seeing Ranger, I had to make sure he was home safe.

"He was good, napped for a few hours, and he wants spaghetti for supper. I am going to go out with your brother tonight, but I'll be back in the morning. By D, give me a hug before I go."

"Bye Aunt Macy." I held Diego in my arms and waved as he blew her kisses as she drove away. "Cheesy, come here." Diego cried out at the beagle that was going back home. Mrs. Edwards poked her white head out the door and waved happily and Diego and me before letting Cheesy in and disappearing back inside.

After making spaghetti and watching Diego enjoy getting it in his thick eyebrows, his hair, all over his clothes and on the floor, I decided it was time for a bath. How the kid got as dirty as he did absolutely amazed me. I watched as he splashed around and soaked the blue tile floor with a smile always on his face. I couldn't help but think how cute he would be when he got older, he might be skinny and lanky, but he was adorable. Even if he did have to get glasses when he went into the eye doctor in a couple weeks, he would still be cute as a button.

Tucking him into the bottom bed of the bunk bed my parents had bought him, we read _Danny and the Dinosaur_ just as we had been doing every night for the past month. With a kiss to his sleepy cheek and a small flick of the nightlight I wandered back to my own bedroom. I sat in bed for a while and shivered slightly at the thought of Ranger. His was pretty much the exact opposite of him; small, loud, and a crybaby. Even if Ranger ever did find out abut his son, once upon seeing him, he wouldn't want anything to do with him.

I pulled my blankets up and rolled over, no use in fretting over what might and might not happen. So for Ranger had no idea of what was going on right behind his back and he wouldn't realize it unless he actually saw Diego. With a heavy sigh I closed my eyes and thought about Ranger actually accepting Diego, and how much my little boy deserved a dad, but I had to make sure that when I actually found someone, he would be as dedicated to Diego, if not more to him than he was to me. I tossed about as I woke from dreams of Ranger tossing Diego to the side, and not wanting anything to do with him.

* * *

I know that she had seen me, and I knew she didn't know what to think about it any more that I did. I hadn't see Jay since I had left that morning, leaving her sleeping in her bed. I had seen her working at the bar a couple weeks later, but after that I had only seen her running to the back when I came in the door, not catching anything of her except her backside. Apparently she was embarrassed of what happened between us, because she made sure that someone else always waited on me. Although from hearing from Tank and a few of the other guys, she hadn't had a problem with them when I wasn't around. They said that the last time she had waited on them, the plain blue shirt that she always wore was pulled tightly over a pregnant stomach, and a 'larger rack' as Bobby stated. 

It had been over two years, and she still wasn't back at the bar, but seeing her at Steph's ex-husband's law office showed the reason why. If she had actually been pregnant, I am sure she decided that she needed a more stable way to support her family. I didn't know who the father was, or if she was already with him the night that I took her home. She didn't seem like the type of woman who would cheat on whoever she was with for any reason.

I couldn't stop thinking about her though over the past couple weeks. Every time I drove by where I had seen her I found myself looking and hoping to catch another glimpse of her. She had looked the same, her hair seemed shorter, but I couldn't be certain until I saw her again, and closer this time. I had to see her and see what she was up to, if she could still remember that night like I could. I called Tank and made him run a location check and found she was still living in the same small house. He said she was currently at work and I thought that would be the perfect place to drop in and see her.

"Did you ever run a search on her before today Ric?" There was something in Tank's voice that made me question what the matter was, but I let it drop.

"No, it was like she had dropped off the map for a few years until a couple weeks ago." I could imagine Tank nodding in agreement with me at this and was ready to disconnect, but remembered the chance that she had a kid and family now. "What about family, no Morelli in this situation?"

A long silence stretched over the phone and I didn't know if Tank was even there on the phone still. If it wasn't for the background noise of the men slacking off since I wasn't there, I would have thought he had hung up. "No man, just a kid. I'll send you the file."

I hung up and waited for the e-mail message to flash on the GPS screen. Once it was there I looked it over, nothing special, all the same from when she had been working at the bar. Then I got to the part about the kid. Diego James Noth, he had the same last name as his mother. I clicked the link and opened up the little boy's file. I froze as I read over the second line:

"_Mother stated upon delivery that Ricardo Carlos Manoso not be notified that he is the father. After DNA test with state sample of DNA, the hospital correctly identified Manoso as the father; he will not be contacted unless of serious accident to mother, or until mother wishes."_

I didn't know what to do. I had a daughter down in Miami that I didn't have very much to do with. My life didn't lend itself to family relationships, or relationships of any kind. I had told this to someone else and lost her forever. I didn't know if I should confront Jay or just leave it and pretend that I hadn't an idea of my son existing. I decided to skip the confrontation and go back to RangeMan for the day. I wouldn't know how to handle the situation right now. Too many things were running through my mind at the moment. I would be surprised if I made it back to the office without getting in an accident.

**So that is that, and please review once again so that I can see where I should make this story go. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: SO I don't own Ranger, or Tank, or any of the other charecters that belong to Janet Evanovich.**

**Thank you to everyone that reveiwed, it is nice to know that people are actually interested in the story. **

I had been up for the past two nights thinking about what this meant. It was one thing to have a kid with a woman that I had been married to, but to have a child from a one-night-stand was completely different. I had done everything that I could to keep my mind off the new knowledge of me having a son, but that was all I could think about. The files that I had passed off to Tank came back with questions, which never happened because I never made mistakes.

I went up to my apartment and took a hot shower, thinking maybe the steam would clear my head. Instead of doing what I hoped, it just put pictures of how Jay had looked that night when I had taken her in the shower. Then as I stepped out and went to my bedroom, vivid pictures of her sprawled across her bed, and crawling towards me flooded me. I shook my head, turned off my phone and decided that maybe I just needed to get some sleep.

I don't know how long I had slept, or what had happened while I was asleep, but I had to have been out for at least eighteen hours. When I woke up I went back downstairs and found Tank waiting in my office. "How long have you been waiting?"

"About three minutes, I had a feeling you would be down here." We sat in silence for a few minutes as I sat back and slumped in my leather office chair. "You want to explain?"

"It was her wedding night, I went home with Jay, used a condom every time." Tank raised his eyebrows, knowing I was talking about Steph's wedding night, and waited for more. "She never told me, and I hadn't seen or talked to her since that night. That must have been the reason she never helped me at the bar anymore."

Once again a companionable silence settled as we both sat lost in thoughts. "What are you going to do?"

I honestly had no idea what I was supposed to do. This was new to me, well not completely new. I was used to the idea of my daughter down in Miami, never having to worry about her because she was with her mother and step-father, she was safe. Not that I doubted that my new found son was in any danger, but it felt different somehow not. Like an obligation, something I was supposed to be there and help with.

There was also a niggling feeling in the back of my head that I couldn't ignore. I couldn't help but wonder why Jay had never told me about this. Fathering a child was a large responsibility. She either didn't want me in her life any longer or didn't trust me to help. Possibly thinking that I would only be a burden, or putting them in danger or hurting them.

"What would you do?" It was a stupid question; I knew what he would do.

"Go play ball with my son until the day comes when I can't anymore." Tank's answer was exactly as I thought it would be. He pushed out of the chair and walked to the door and left without looking back. I had felt completely rested when I had entered my office, but now all of my energy was completely drained. I looked at the clock; it was seven in the morning, on a Saturday.

Before I knew where I was going, I realized I was driving over to Jay's. I looked at the GPS and finally noticed the Tank must have set it up for autopilot as I tracked the progress on the Turbo's screen. I sat in the driveway until I saw a little face peek out the front window. I couldn't make anything out, but I nearly smiled as a little hand waved out the window. My heartstrings tightened as the curtains slid shut and I got out of the car. My mind made up, I had a chance and I was going to take it, I wouldn't allow my pigheadedness to get in the way once again.

I was almost up on the small wooden porch when the heavy front door opened up. Jay stepped outside and crossed her arms over her chest after lightly closing the door. I took her all in for a moment; she had on a rumpled pink shirt that had bleach stains down the front, the green shorts she wore had what looked like egg yoke on them. Her familiar pink painted toenails wiggled on the smooth wood.

"What do you need?" Her voice was tight, like she was protecting something, trying to hide the truth.

"I know about the kid." She froze immediately, but I could tell she was trying to act as if it meant nothing.

"I am just watching my neighbors' son for a few days while they are out of town." I saw her glance at the house next door and saw and older woman peering out the window at us. "His name is Billy and he likes to look at birds out the window." I watched over Jay's shoulder as the door opened up a few inches, she apparently didn't noticed as she continued to take me all in with surprise.

I didn't know what to expect, but what I saw captured my attention. A skinny little boy in Superman pajamas, Ninja Turtles slippers, and round little glasses that magnified his large brown eyes stared back at me curiously. He held an old blue blanket in one hand and a matted yellow elephant in the other. His skin was lighter than mine, but obviously a mix between mine and Jay's, his hair was dark brown, almost the same black as mine and shaggy, nearly hanging into his eyes. He pulled open the door a little more and walked behind his mother's leg, scaring her from her inspection of me.

She turned and looked down at her son, joy automatically replacing the displeasure that had been evident when she was looking at me. She picked him up and kissed his cheek automatically without thinking. He whispered something in her ear and she looked over at me with a fierce glare. Jay hugged him closer, as if she thought I was going to snatch him from her arms, and nuzzled at him instinctively.

"Say goodbye Diego, we have to go finish breakfast." Diego waved for a minute, and then smiled brightly as he pointed out a spot of peanut butter on his shirt.

"Mommy I spilt," they were such simple words, from one of the scrawniest looking children I had ever seen. She looked down at his shirt and reassured him that she would get it clean, then she set him down and asked him to go inside, comforting him with the fact that she would be right in. "Bye," he blew a kiss, probably from habit of blowing them to his mother when she left him for work, and then he went inside. His blanket got caught in the door and I watched him tug at it through the screen door.

"I have to take care of my son, goodbye Ranger." She picked up Diego's blanket as she traveled inside, and was about to close the door as I stopped her by inserting my boot inside.

* * *

I didn't know why he was there, but he seemed determined about his mission. He had stopped the door from closing, but he still wasn't saying anything. I glanced over my shoulder at Diego who had crawled back up to the table and was eating his toast. The plate of eggs still lay overturned on the floor. I looked back at Ranger; his eyes were boring into me, a blazing intensity to them. 

"You need to leave." I hissed out and realized how afraid I was just then.

"Let me see him, I'm his dad."

"His dad who left his mom alone, after having her everyway imaginable in one night. His dad who hasn't had any clue he even fathered a child until just now. His dad who doesn't have any interest in the son that has just started asking questions about why you are never here. I think that sums up your role in his life."

"You never told me." He pushed the door further open and I had no choice but to back up as he walked in. The door closed silently behind him and the phone rang immediately.

"I got it momma!" Diego scrambled to climb down from his booster seat and ran to where the phone hung on the wall. He stepped on the orange footstool I had put under it just so he could answer calls from his grandma and grandpa. "Hello?" His small voice was joyous at the opportunity to be a little more grown up. The phone was soon held out at arms length towards me and I realized that it was for me. I watched Ranger the whole time as I listened to Mrs.Edwards question me about the strange man that had been on my porch.

Without warning Diego grabbed Ranger's hand and began pulling him towards his bedroom. I attempted to get off the phone, but they had disappeared from sight before I could hang up. I could hear Diego talking with enthusiasm about his dinosaurs. When I finally disconnected and hurried into his room, Diego was holding up his favorite blue t-rex and showing it to his father. It was a sight that I wished I could see everyday, but knew it was never to be seen again.

As I stood back for a moment, watching as Ranger picked up a yellow longneck, I could really see the similarities between them. The dark skin, nearly black hair that almost matched Rangers, dark eyebrows, and the same chocolaty eyes. Ranger glanced over at me and then handed the yellow one to Diego before walking towards me.

"Want to play? Watch pooh?" Diego clasped onto Ranger's hand and I felt my heartbreak as I saw the longing in his eyes. He needed a father figure, and I knew that when Ranger said they could watch Pooh, that I wasn't going to be able to tell him to stay away anymore. Diego was his as much as mine, and if he thought he could be a decent father, then I would let him try, but the moment that Diego was hurt, physically or emotionally, I would castrate him with a dull spoon. "Come on!" Diego was pulling Ranger towards the door where I stood, but I stopped him and squatted down to see eyelevel with him.

"You can watch Pooh, Mommy has to talk to him okay?" Diego immediately started shaking his head at me, and his bottom lip began to quiver.

"Watch Pooh?" He looked between Ranger and me and then gripped the blue dinosaur in his hand tighter.

"You go find the movie Diego." Ranger's voice broke my cloudy thoughts; I had been trying to figure out how to break it to my son that he wasn't going to be watching Winnie the Pooh with Ranger anytime soon. I looked up to see him looking down at Diego, and there was something in the look that made me think of all of dreams of us I had being a happy family.

Diego ran past me out of his bedroom and I could hear his little feet as he went to the living room. "Look, you might think this is what you want now, but I think we both know that you won't want it in a few days."

"I don't know that."

"Ranger, I won't let you hurt him. If you think it is necessary that you have to see him, well fine, but I am going to be right there with you all the time. Go home and think about this, because if you aren't going to commit to being a full time dad, granted that doesn't mean you have to have anything to do with me, but if you can't be there for him, I will kill you with my bare hands." I felt the mean look contort my face and Ranger must have seen it to because something flashed in his eyes, not fear, but more like a deep understanding.

"I have a daughter in Miami. My ex-wife won't let me see her now that she got remarried. I don't want to waste another opportunity." He walked past me and I could hear his deep voice from the living room as he talked lightly to Diego. I heard Diego's protests and went to see what was going on. "You stay here, I will see you later, we will play with your dinosaurs then okay? Maybe watch," Ranger paused, I could tell he was mentally blanching at the thought, "Pooh."

"Stay and play!" Diego pulled on his hand and I went and picked him up. "Tell him to stay momma."

"He has to leave; maybe you will see him later. We have to go get ready to go see Auntie Macy, she bought you a new dinosaur." I kissed at his neck and tickled his side to make him giggle and forget about Ranger. I looked up and I saw that same look, almost of longing, in Ranger's eyes once again. It was brief, but it was still there. "Say bye and we will go get your swim shorts."

"Bye," Diego's wave was small as he climbed down from my arms and glanced one last time at Ranger before calling out one last goodbye and running to his room.

"We have stuff to do today."

"We'll talk later Jay." He was almost to the door when he turned back with his last comment, "you look good," before he slid out the door.

**Was it to soon for Ranger to come over? I was contemplating waiting a few chapters, but I wanted him ti see his nerdy little son. If you have any ideas or suggestions let me know, let me know anything about the story in general that you are thinking. Thanks. **


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